Labor savings devices for homeowners and do it yourself individuals faced with performing arduous chores, enjoy growing popularity and steady development of improved forms of such devices. Exemplary of such devices are those which can be employed adjunct a home or property owner need to collect leaves in the Autumn by blowing rather than raking, or following snow removal to salt sidewalks, driveways etc to prevent icing of such surfaces.
Portable particle spreader units for are known as are portable leaf blower units. Some spreader units are intended to be carried and set down by the user at a selected location. The user then operates the unit to spread salt over an area. The unit is then moved to another location and operated to spread salt over a second area, this procedure being repeated as necessary until the whole area to be salted is covered. Some known spreader units and blower units are mounted on wheels and can be operated to spread salt or blow leaves as the user pushes the unit over areas to be salted or leaf blown. Some spreaders and leaf blowers are designed to be supported on the user's body.
The foregoing described spreader/blower types have the disadvantages of being cumbersome to use if the unit is one operating from a stationary position since it must repeatedly be moved to new locations to complete a spreading or blowing job. Spreader/blower types mounted on wheels involve user need to use one hand for propelling the unit. This leaves the user at a disadvantages where a requirement for using both hands during spreading or blowing arises since he must stop the travel movement of the unit to deal with the requirement. For example, a user may need to alter a spreader unit particle feed rate while directing a spreading tube in a desired direction. Such would require stopping the pushing of the unit at least for a short interval. Some body supported units employed as spreaders are more bulky than need be and in some cases have exposed moving parts that could be a hazard to the user.
It is desirable that a more compact user carried spreader/blower unit useable during the Autumn season for leaf collection, and in the Winter season for deicing and ice formation prevention be provided. The unit should be of ergonomically compact configuration easily side carried on a user's shoulder with an adjustable shoulder strap. In this way fatiguing load on the user's arm is minimized whether he be in standing, squatting or bending positions. All operating mechanisms should be carried in a smooth housing to assure user protection and facilitate user unencumbered sight of areas being worked. Further, the unit should be designed to minimize weight and in the case of a spreader operation, carry a modest quantity of salt or chemical so as to not unduly burden the user.